System76 is one of a kind
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Date: 2026-10-28
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Comments and reviews: 13
Jeff-vp8pq
I am that user you describe in your video perfectly! Was a Windows user since 1988 and finally got fed up with the direction Microsoft, Windows and Office are heading. Other than knowing that Linux existed, I never tried it before. I setup my Dell XPS desktop for dual boot along with Pop!_OS to give it a try. Loaded Libre Office, which is a really well designed alternative to Office, and a few other apps. After a few weeks of getting used to the new OS and Libre Office, it was a very easy decision to make the change permanent.
I researched a bunch of new laptops and decided to go with the new 16 System76 Lemur Pro because it was the only brand that came perfectly configured with Pop!_OS and COSMIC Desktop right out of the box. Several months into using the system, I have absolutely no regrets. Plus, it's great getting daily/weekly updates to system packages and apps that load through the COSMIC Store. I'm continually learning nuances about the OS and apps, but that's OK.
I think System76's hardware choices, along with Pop!_OS and COSMIC desktop, is finally the combination that can get long-frustrated users, like I was, off the Windows platform. Hell, I'm 72 and made the change fairly easily. Now I'm officially a Linux convert.
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I am that user you describe in your video perfectly! Was a Windows user since 1988 and finally got fed up with the direction Microsoft, Windows and Office are heading. Other than knowing that Linux existed, I never tried it before. I setup my Dell XPS desktop for dual boot along with Pop!_OS to give it a try. Loaded Libre Office, which is a really well designed alternative to Office, and a few other apps. After a few weeks of getting used to the new OS and Libre Office, it was a very easy decision to make the change permanent.
I researched a bunch of new laptops and decided to go with the new 16 System76 Lemur Pro because it was the only brand that came perfectly configured with Pop!_OS and COSMIC Desktop right out of the box. Several months into using the system, I have absolutely no regrets. Plus, it's great getting daily/weekly updates to system packages and apps that load through the COSMIC Store. I'm continually learning nuances about the OS and apps, but that's OK.
I think System76's hardware choices, along with Pop!_OS and COSMIC desktop, is finally the combination that can get long-frustrated users, like I was, off the Windows platform. Hell, I'm 72 and made the change fairly easily. Now I'm officially a Linux convert.
reply
John-t9z8p
It's a little misleading to say that System76 focuses on linux on brand new hardware. It would be more accurate to say it focuses on having Pop!_OS work smoothly on the hardware it sells. But other linux distros paradoxically may work better on your old windows pcs than on system76. That's because System76 doesn't try to pick hardware compatible with most recent mainline linux kernels. They pick hardware that depends on their own in-house system76 drivers and compile these into the kernels that update with their system76 ppas. That means, say, if you try to install linux mint on a system76 computer, the system76 ppa will install later kernels that don't work with mint, the proprietary system76 modules won't compile and you lose hardware functionality, such as fan control or keyboard backlighting. A hardware vendor like Framework has an opposite philosophy which is to pick hardware that likely will be compatible with any linux distros.
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It's a little misleading to say that System76 focuses on linux on brand new hardware. It would be more accurate to say it focuses on having Pop!_OS work smoothly on the hardware it sells. But other linux distros paradoxically may work better on your old windows pcs than on system76. That's because System76 doesn't try to pick hardware compatible with most recent mainline linux kernels. They pick hardware that depends on their own in-house system76 drivers and compile these into the kernels that update with their system76 ppas. That means, say, if you try to install linux mint on a system76 computer, the system76 ppa will install later kernels that don't work with mint, the proprietary system76 modules won't compile and you lose hardware functionality, such as fan control or keyboard backlighting. A hardware vendor like Framework has an opposite philosophy which is to pick hardware that likely will be compatible with any linux distros.
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marinlos
I owned a System76 laptop and used Pop_OS! Back when it was Gnome with extensions. Their tech support team is great, they are really helpful and human. Honestly back then the laptop quality wasn't the best, at least in my experience. I hope it's gotten a lot better. I tried Cosmic this year too, it feels nice, but it needs to mature a bit more. Even though it's getting better really fast.
Right now I have a Thinkpad T14s working like a charm with Fedora Workstation.
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I owned a System76 laptop and used Pop_OS! Back when it was Gnome with extensions. Their tech support team is great, they are really helpful and human. Honestly back then the laptop quality wasn't the best, at least in my experience. I hope it's gotten a lot better. I tried Cosmic this year too, it feels nice, but it needs to mature a bit more. Even though it's getting better really fast.
Right now I have a Thinkpad T14s working like a charm with Fedora Workstation.
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stennan
Looks like a nice system. I have a AMD 6600H 3050 that went from 5h battery life in standby to 2h after 3 years. My guess is windows is keeping something running since i have 30W-40W power draw on desktop. Noting unusual running or taking CPU cycles
So if System76 launch a laptop with Medusa halo/halo-mini i will check it out. That or framework 16/13 pro
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Looks like a nice system. I have a AMD 6600H 3050 that went from 5h battery life in standby to 2h after 3 years. My guess is windows is keeping something running since i have 30W-40W power draw on desktop. Noting unusual running or taking CPU cycles
So if System76 launch a laptop with Medusa halo/halo-mini i will check it out. That or framework 16/13 pro
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mavfan1
I picked up the HP Dev One 4 years ago which was a collaboration with System 76 as it came with Pop OS. I upgraded the wifi chip and jumped from 16 to 64GB of RAM (I did that about 3.5 years ago thank goodness) and it's been a great little laptiop for me to use in my multi year transition to Linux.
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I picked up the HP Dev One 4 years ago which was a collaboration with System 76 as it came with Pop OS. I upgraded the wifi chip and jumped from 16 to 64GB of RAM (I did that about 3.5 years ago thank goodness) and it's been a great little laptiop for me to use in my multi year transition to Linux.
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MichaelEKaz
I installed System76’s Pop_OS on my Dell laptop. I really like it. Their Cosmic desktop is very new, but rapidly being updated. It’s a good experience. I’d like to get a System76 desktop at some point in the future.
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I installed System76’s Pop_OS on my Dell laptop. I really like it. Their Cosmic desktop is very new, but rapidly being updated. It’s a good experience. I’d like to get a System76 desktop at some point in the future.
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Eric.Hansel
I run Pop_OS in the main room on a seasoned SFF Dell. No complaints here. Tiling is growing on me. The monster Precision 7730 runs Mint, but doesn't make a popping sound when you click on things.
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I run Pop_OS in the main room on a seasoned SFF Dell. No complaints here. Tiling is growing on me. The monster Precision 7730 runs Mint, but doesn't make a popping sound when you click on things.
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pcworld
Hello, finally a review of laptops that are not popular like Dell, Lenovo, Hp, Apple. Maybe you can also do reviews of laptops from Tuxedo, Starlabs, SlimBook, Panasonic.
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Hello, finally a review of laptops that are not popular like Dell, Lenovo, Hp, Apple. Maybe you can also do reviews of laptops from Tuxedo, Starlabs, SlimBook, Panasonic.
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keithwalsh1882
How difficult is it to include a full size SD card slot these days. Every camera uses these yet more and more laptops have dropped what is IMO a basic feature.
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How difficult is it to include a full size SD card slot these days. Every camera uses these yet more and more laptops have dropped what is IMO a basic feature.
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mkalbaker
I think you forgot tuxedo computers who are a Linux desktop laptop manufacturer with their own distribution as well. Their laptops are better than system 76.
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I think you forgot tuxedo computers who are a Linux desktop laptop manufacturer with their own distribution as well. Their laptops are better than system 76.
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user-pq4by2rq9y
My advice to system76 would be to pay extra attention to the keyboard since the group of heavy linux users tend to be overlap with keyboard snobs.
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My advice to system76 would be to pay extra attention to the keyboard since the group of heavy linux users tend to be overlap with keyboard snobs.
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DrewWhitehead
There's a hiccup in the Wi-Fi that causes that wake from sleep issue. It's a pretty simple solve and they're an open GitHub thread on it.
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There's a hiccup in the Wi-Fi that causes that wake from sleep issue. It's a pretty simple solve and they're an open GitHub thread on it.
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cacheman
Four proper separate cursor keys on the keyboard, so a billion percent better than the Dell XPSes with their split/half-sized ones.
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Four proper separate cursor keys on the keyboard, so a billion percent better than the Dell XPSes with their split/half-sized ones.
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